Abstract

Most light phenomena can be explained by modeling the light as a transverse wave. However, a few phenomenon, like the ­photoelectric effect or the blackbody radiation, cannot be ­interpreted, unless the light is considered as a particle, which we call photon. So for most practical purposes, the light is a transverse wave or, more specifically, an electromagnetic wave. A monochromatic light wave has an electric field with sinusoidal oscillation in a perpendicular direction to its traveling path. It also has a sinusoidal magnetic field in a plane perpendicular to the electric field, as illustrated in Figure 4.1.